Protector



Nov. 16, 1943. F. w. LIVERMONT PRQTECTOR Filed April 21, 1941 INVENTOR.

U/ermolzZ R- D Patented Nov. 16, 1943 PROTECTOR Frank W. Livermont,Glendale, Calif., assigner of one-third to Richard A. Livingston andonethird toRichard L. Ames, both of Los Angeles,

Calif.

Application April 21, 1941, Serial No. 389,485 s claims. (c1. 13s-9s)This invention is a protector which may be readily detachably mounted ontubingand its couplings for protecting the same preparatory to assemblyin a tubing system.

The invention is particularly applicable to airplane manufacture, wherevarious parts which have been incorporated in an Vairplane are connectedby tubing to provide conduits for oil, fuel and other fluids. In thisindustry it is standard practice to prepare and maintain a stock oftubing lengths, with closures at their ends, and then draw upon thisstock and remove the end closures just prior to incorporating a tubinglength in an airplane. The tubing length may be operatively connected toa desired part of the airplane by a coupling, one element of thecoupling being usually mounted on the tubing length and the cooperatingelement being mounted on,

the airplane part.

' It is an object of the invention to provide a protector for the tubinglength and its coupling element, while these parts are in stock; and toalso provide a protector for the cooperating cou- It is a further objecto'f the invention to lpro-V vide a protector adapted forquickldetvachable engagement with a coupling element, for protecting itscoupling means until such time as the cou pling element is to beconnected to a cooperatingl coupling elementgin an assembled structure.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a protector for thebore of the coupling ele-1fl provide a protector for both a tubinglength and a coupling element. which' may be thereon.

Further objects of the invention will'be readily mounted Fig. 4 is atransverse section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

- Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing the protector in operativeposition with relation to the coupling element which is shown at Fig. 2.

This invention, while generally applicable for protecting tubing and itscouplings preparatory to assembling a tubing system, is particularlyapplicable and is therefore described as employed in airplanemanufacture.

In accordance with usual construction and as shown at Fig. l, a collar lis slidably mounted on a tubing length 2, with a coupling element 3slidably mounted on the collar and provided with coupling means 4 whichis preferably a female thread. The end of the tubing is outwardly ilaredas shown at 5, to provide an end abutment for-the collar I which in turnforms an end abut-\ coupling means 8 at its respective ends so as to.provide a union for proximate lengths of tubing 2;

but is preferably employed and is illustrated as mounted on a Xed part,e. g. an airplane part, with one end of the coupling element projectingas a nipple which' is provided with coupling means 8. This nipple isshown projecting from anelement 9 which may be an instrument panelorvpump or other part of an airplane, the element 9 and itsprojectingnipple 6 being mounted in the airplane during course of'construction,

y ready for connecting a tubing length 2 to the understood from thefollowing description of the l nipple.

The tubing length 2 and its coupling element 3, while in stock, areprotected as shown at Fig.

l3. The protector comprises a sleeve I0, closed at its forward end asshown at Il.

The sleeve 1s outwardly iianged at its rear end as shown at I2, andVthen Iprojects forwardly asa skirt I3 which isradially spaced from thesleeve lll and terminates in an inwardly turned ange I4. The forwardportion of the sleeve Ill and its closed end Il are adapted forreception in the flaring vend 5 .of a tubing length 2, so as to closethe bore of .the same, and for this purpose the forof the threadedconnection 4-I5, and by tightening this threaded connection' thetapering end of the sleeve IIJ may be seated in the nare 5 for sealingthe bore of the tubing length 2.

The radially spaced skirt I3 surrounds the coupling element 3,protecting .the gripping means (shown as hexagon I6) which is usuallyprovided at the outer surface of the element 3. The skirt I3 i`sstrengthened by its ilange I4 so that it is substantially rigid, but isof material having some slight inherent resiliencywhereby it acts as ashock absorber for protecting the tubing length 2 and its couplingelement 3, particularly the are 5 and the threads 4 and I5,A

against rough handling.

In similar manner, the flange I2 protects the end of the couplingelement 3, and ls of material which is substantially rigid but has someslight inherent resiliency, thereby acting as a shock .absorber in theevent of rough handling, to prevent injury to the tubing length 2 andits coupling element 3, particularly the flare 5 and the threads 4 andI5.

The tapering portion of the sleeve I and its end closure II are also ofmaterial having some slight inherent resiliency, as least as great and-preferably greater than the tubing 2, whereby the tapering sleeve I0may be seated against the flare 5 so as to conform exactly theretowithout distorting said ilare; and in the event of the protector beingstruck due to rough handling, it absorbs the shock and yields at itsengagement with the flare 5, so as to appreciably decrease transmissionof the blow to the tubing length 2.

When a length of tubing 2, protected as shown at Fig. 3, is to bewithdrawn from stock and connected to a nipple 6, its protector plug isremoved by unscrewing the threaded connection 4 I5, thereby adapting thecoupling element 3 of the tubing length for threaded engagement with thenipple 6; and the protector plu-g having been cast aside is'protected,particularly at its threads I5, by its flange I2 and its skirtl3 s0 thatit may be reused on a length of tubing which is in stock.

As an instance whereby the tapering closure I-II and its ange I2 andskirt I3 will have desired rigidity, with some slight inherentresiliency, and whereby this protector plug may be economically andrapidly manufactured, the entire protector plug is preferably stampedfrom relatively thin sheet metal such asy cold rolled steel. Thethickness of the sheet metal will depend upon the diameter of ltheprotector plug, determined by the size of tubing with which it is to beemployed, it being understood that for larger sizes of protector plugs athicker metal is required to insure the desired rigidity with .someslight inherent resiliency. By way of example, protector plugs fortubing of 1/2" O. D. and smaller, have been stamped from cold rolledsteel of 26 gau-ge, Stubbs scale, and protector plugs for larger tubingup to 1" O. D., have been stamped from similar sheet metal of 24 gauge,Stubbs scale.

Protector plugs for use with tubing such as generally employed inairplane manufacture, i. e.

1" O. D. or smaller, may thus be readily manufactured by a stampingoperation, and will have the desired rigidity with some slight inherentresiliency, when using ferrous metal of from say 22 to 30 gauge, Stubbsscale.

The threads I5 may be rolled threads, as is preferred practice whenemploying relatively thin metal such as described, the sheet metal beingstamped to form the entire protector plug. with the threads I5 rolled inthe sleeve I0 after or as an intermediate step of the stampingoperation.

The nipple 6, before it is mounted in an airplane, and also after it ismounted in place ready to have a len-gth of tubing 2 connected thereto,is protected as shown at Fig. 5. This protector is received over thenipple and connected to its male thread 8, for protecting the thread andclosing the bore of the nipple.

As an instance, this protector cap may be similar in all respects to theprotector plugpreviously described (with similar parts indicated by thesame reference numerals with the exponent a), except that the threadsI5a are formed in the bore of the sleeve Illa, and this sleeve is ofdiameter for reception over the nipple 6, with its tapering forwardportion and its end closure Ila received over the tapering `forward endof the nipple. In other words, when mounting the protector cap on thenipple 6 (Fig. 5), it is axially reversed with relation to the protectorplug which is mounted on the end of tubing length 2 (Fig. 3); butprovides similar protection for the bore and threads of' the nipple 6,since the axially projecting closure end I Ia and the radially spacedskirt |3a form axial and transverse shock absorbers, with the skirt |3aprotecting the threaded portion of the sleeve Illa against distortionsuch as might otherwise result in its threads I5a marring the thread 8of the nipple 6 when screwed thereon.

The invention thus provides an economical and readily manufacturedprotector, which may be made in sizes to form protector plugs forreception in tubing lengths 2 or protector caps for reception overnipples 6, with the protector forming an end closurefor the tubing ornipple and surrounding and protecting the threads of its coupling means,and with the protector of substantially rigid material but having someslight inherent resiliency so as to provide a shock absorber forpreventing damage to the tubing 2V or the coupling means 4 or 8.

I claim:

1. A protector for use with a tubing coupling comprising a. sleeve ttedupon the outside of tubing and an interiorly threaded nut having aflange extending radially inwards to engage behind a flange extendingradially outwards from said sleeve to draw said sleeve toward theassociatedend of said tubing against the outer surface of a conical areformed thereon, said protector providing means for holding said couplingparts in assembled relation and protecting the same comprising a centralhub having a cylindrical portion exteriorly threaded for engagementwithin said nut, a frusto-conical portion on one end of said cylindricalportion adapted to t the interior surface of said flare on said tubingand to be pressed into sealing contact therewith when said nut istightened on said cylindrical portion, and a head closing the smallerend of said frustoconical portion, an annular portion extending radiallyoutwards from the other end of said cylindrical portion of said hub, anda substantially cylindrical ange extending from said annular portion andspaced from said hub far enough to enclose said nut therebetween.

2. A closure member for use with a conduit device having a tapered seatand a coupling means, said closure member consisting of a single pieceof thin, resilient material and having: a tapered seat portion adaptedto t against said tapered seat of said conduit deviceand a lockingportion extending from said tapered seat portion and engageable withsaid coupling means for pressing said tapered seat portion against saidtapered 4 seat of said conduit device, said tapered seat portion of saidclosure member being sufdciently deformable by virtue of its thinnessand the inherent resiliencyof said material as to yield and conform tothe shape of the tapered seat of said conduit device despite slightvariations of the normal shape of said tapered seat portion from theshape of said tapered seat of said conduit device, whereby a sealbetween said tapered seat portion of said closure member and the taperedseat of said conduit device is insured without material deformation ofthe tapered seat of the conduit device.' A

3. A protector for a-nipple having connecting means on its exteriorperipheral surface, said protector consisting of a single piece of thin,resilient material having: a tubular section `configured to flt oversa'id nipple and enclose and lock to the said connecting means thereon,and an end closure wall on one end of said tubular section, the midportion of said end closure wall extending across the end of said nipplein axially spaced relation to the end thereof when the protector isafxed to the nipple, and the material of said end wall being so thin andresilient as to deform in response to blows applied thereto as anincident to ordinary handling and thereby absorb and reduce the force ofblowsapplied through said protector to said nipple.

4. A protector for a conduit device having a fluid passage surmounted bya coupling element, said protector consisting of a thin, resilientmember having: a tubular section configured to lock to said couplingelement of said conduit device; a radially extending na'nge 'section on'. one end of said tubular section;` and a substantially cylindricalskirt section merging at 'one end into the outer edge of Isaid flangesection, saidflange and skirt sections being so readily/ deformable byvirtue of their thinness and inherent resilience that they deform andabsorb the forcev of blows incldent to handling instead of transmittingsuch forces with undiminished strength to said conduit device on whichthe protector is mounted.

5. A protector for use with a tubing coupling for a ared end tube, saidcoupling comprising an internally threaded nut element and meansincluding a shoulder on. said nut element for exerting pressure againstthe outer surface of the said dared end of said tube to draw said flaredend against the outer surface of a cooperating coupling element, saidprotector providing means for holding said tube and nut in assembledrelation and protecting the same and comprising: a central hub having acylindrical portion bearing threads for engagement with said nut; atapered portion on one end of said cylindrical portion adapted to t theinterior surface of said flare on said tubing and to be pressed intocontact therewith when said nut is screwed onto said cylindricalportion; an annular portion extending radially outwards from the otherend of said cylindrical portion of said hub; and a substantiallycylindrical flange extending from said annular portion and spaced fromsaid hub far enough to enclose said nut therebetween, said cylindricalflange being so thin and of material having such inherent resilience asto be crushed into engagement'with the outer surface of said nut and itsrotation relative to said nut thereby prevented if attempt is made toexcessively tighten said protector by application of a wrench to saidcylindri cal portion thereof.

6. In combination with a tubing coupling comprising a sleeve fitted uponthe outside of tubing .and an lnteriorly threaded nut having a flangeextending radially inwards to engage behind a lflange extending radiallyoutwards from` said' sleeve to draw said sleeve toward the associatedend of said tubing against the outer surface of a conical flare formedthereon, a tubing and coupling protector comprising a central hubcomprising a cylindrical portion exteriorly threaded U FRANK W.LIVERMONT.

